Mersing: A Little Slice Of East Coast In The South

By Hasnah Jusid

MERSING, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The aroma of nasi dagang wafting from roadside stalls, the smoke of satar roasting over embers, and rows of keropok lekor shops all transport visitors straight to the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu.

Yet, this taste of the east coast isn’t in Kuala Terengganu or Kota Bharu - it’s in Mersing, Johor, a coastal district about 136 kilometres from Johor Bahru and bordering Pahang to the north.

The village head of Kampung Seri Lalang Laut/Mersing Kanan, Ahmad Farid Husin, said the migration of east coast residents to Mersing began in the late 1960s, when many fishermen from Terengganu and Kelantan came seasonally to go to sea and eventually decided to settle.

“My father came from Terengganu. Many fishermen at that time migrated here, married locals, and started families. Today, of the roughly 200 families in Kampung Seri Lalang Laut, 70 to 80 per cent have east coast roots.

“If you mention Mersing Kanan or Kampung Tanjung, people immediately know that many residents are from Terengganu and Kelantan. The language, the food, the village atmosphere - everything reflects the character of the east coast,” he told Bernama recently.

The east coast traditions in Mersing go beyond food - they reflect a way of life. One such tradition is the game of dam soksek, similar to dam haji (checkers), which villagers play at a wakaf (property for public use) gazebo every evening after returning from the sea.

“It used to be played only during the monsoon season, when fishermen could not go out to sea. But now, it has become a daily pastime, played by the community in the afternoon during their break after fishing,” Ahmad Farid Husin said.

Mohd Sufian Ghazal, a member of the board of directors of the Mersing Area Fishermen’s Association, said almost half of the association’s members are fishermen with the east coast roots, bringing with them their own traditions and fishing techniques.

One notable legacy is the use of pukat ceruk batu, a method for catching fish in rocky areas near islands. This unique technique avoids fishing during the bright moon, instead relying on the dark moon and using lights or lighthouses to attract fish.

Many traders in Mersing continue to run their family’s traditional businesses. Among them is Aisyah Sakirah Ghazali, 34, who sells satar - fresh fish paste wrapped in banana leaves and grilled over coals.

“Every day, I use about 15 kilogrammes of fish to make more than 3,000 pieces of satar, selling at least 350 pieces daily. This recipe has been passed down from my mother’s family in Terengganu,” she said.

Meanwhile, Norizad Ramli, 43, has been running a keropok lekor and fish-based dry goods shop for more than 20 years.

“I inherited my late father’s shop. My parents are originally from Terengganu, and I continue to stock keropok from Kelantan as well. Many of our customers even come from abroad, including Singapore,” Norizad said.

Another trader, Abdul Halim Othman, 45, takes pride in being the third generation of the Othman Puteh family, pioneers of keropok lekor in Mersing.

“My late grandfather, Puteh Mohamad, originally came from Besut, Terengganu. He started the keropok lekor business more than 40 years ago, and now I continue the tradition. If you want to taste the authentic east coast, you should definitely visit Mersing,” he said.

For visitors, Mersing’s uniqueness is most easily experienced through its food. Zulkifli Jali, 50, a civil servant, said that keropok lekor and satar have become ‘mandatory souvenirs’ every time he stops in Mersing to take home to his family.

-- BERNAMA